How to Paint Seagulls

Written by jensen johansson

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A photograph featuring a seagull can be a great inspiration. (seagull image by Earl Robbins from Fotolia.com)

Seagulls are not difficult to paint. Even an amateur painter can manage a simplified shape of the bird. Use your imagination to visualise the idea -- or use a photograph as inspiration. At later stages try different styles and techniques, but for the beginning a simple sketch will do. As the creator of best seller "Jonathan Livingston Seagull", writer Richard Bach said: "You're never given a dream without also being given the power to make it true."

Skill level:

Moderate

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Things you need

Paper

Pencil

Eraser

Flat brush

Liner brush

Paint

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Instructions

1

Draw an ellipse to make seagull's body. Use a soft pencil.

2

Draw a second ellipse on one end of the bigger ellipse. That will be seagull's head.

3

Draw the beak on the smaller ellipse: first a straight line, then two square ones on both sides.

4

Draw the wings. Make two rectangles on both sides of the bigger ellipse. Use curved lines rather than straight ones to capture the wings' shapes better.

5

Draw upper parts of the wings. Add two triangles to left and right of the rectangles. Again, use curved lines. The rectangles should look like simplified sails.

6

Draw feathers as you find fit. Make simple curved lines in triangles and proper parts of the rectangles.

7

Add two lines for legs.

8

Draw details as your imagination dictates. Draw one or two eyes depending on the angle.

9

Paint the sketch: Mix colours: blue, red and white until they get a shady tone.

10

Use a flat brush to apply a shady tone to proper parts.

11

Paint the beak. Mix yellow and red and add some white until you get proper tone. Apply it with a flat brush.

12

Mix white and yellow to add some highlight and apply it with the flat brush around the bird's lower parts.

13

Use a liner brush to paint the legs.

Tips and warnings

Use oil paints without a sketch. Use the same method; just make blurs instead of sketched shapes.

Try different styles. Experiment with shapes and angles. Experiment with colours and techniques.